Squash

How Long Does Zucchini Last?

Squash - how long does summer squash last? Summer squash comes in a variety of names, shapes and sizes. What they all have in common are a soft, thin, edible skin with soft seeds inside (which actually make them a fruit by the way) and the fact that they can be eaten raw, unlike their cousins (winter squash).

Zucchini is the most well known in the summer squash category. Summer squash includes zuccini (black, green or yellow), crooked neck, straight neck, scallop, butter blossom, gourmet globe and sun drops. The best picks at the market in this summer squash category are the smaller ones.

The shelf life of zucchini and other summer squash is tricky because there is no sell by date, use by date or best before date attached anywhere to summer squash. For eat by date purposes, the sell by date is the date that the squash was purchased.

So, how long does zucchini last past the sell by date? When properly stored, the shelf life of zucchini and other summer squash past the date purchased is approximately...

Zucchini Expiration Date

Counter

Refrigerator

Fresh Summer Squash lasts for

1-5 Days

5-7 Days

Zucchini lasts for

3-5 Days

5-7 Days

Crooked Neck Squash lasts for

3-5 Days

5-7 Days

Prepared (Cooked) Squash lasts for

--

7 Days

Of course, all foods last for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly.

How to tell if Zucchini is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Zucchini and other summer squash will begin to get soft and black marks will begin to appear on their skin. When this begins to happen, use them quickly (after cutting out any damaged spots). They will soon get mushy and a thick white liquid will form on their skin, at which point your squash has gone bad and must be thrown out.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Zucchini to extend its shelf life?

Summer squash keeps best in a plastic bag in the produce drawer of the refrigerator.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

Interesting facts about Zucchini:

Summer squash is grown all over the world.

How long is Zucchini good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does fresh squash last? That depends. How long does salad last? In general, the squash will last as long as the quickest expiring food in the prepared dish.

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What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Zucchini lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Zucchini.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Zucchini shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!